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Born This Way (song)
For other uses, see Born This Way (disambiguation). "Born This Way" is a song written by Lady Gaga. It serves as the title track of Gaga's third album, Born This Way. The song was registered on BMI on January 25, 2011. The song was released on February 11th, at 6 AM EST on radio stations worldwide and was made available for sale on iTunes 3 hours later at 9 AM EST. The song not only debuted as number one, but it also is the 1000th song to reach number one on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. (February 26, 2011) Background Gaga first debuted an acapella line of the song after receiving her moon-man at the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards, for "Video of the Year". She also tweeted the chorus on October 21, 2010. After her tweet, Perez Hilton, replied to her with "It doesn't matter where you come from or where you've been. What matters is that you're on the right track baby! And I am! I am!" However, nearly a month later, Hilton stated in a post on his website, "We haven't heard This Way' either, but we can't wait." Elton John described the song as a gay anthem but added later that it's a song for all people and not just for the gay community. The lyrics of the song were sent to various outlets by Gaga so it would seem as though they had leaked lines at a time. These outlets included Popjustice, Billboard, Rolling Stone, and Perez Hilton. On Januay 27, 2011, Gaga tweeted the full lyrics in response to her fans making '#BornThisWaylyrics' the top trending topic worldwide on Twitter.http://www.twitlonger.com/show/8e8bt7 Lady Gaga told Vogue, “''I wrote it in ten fucking minutes and it is a completely magical message song. And after I wrote it, the gates just opened, and the songs kept coming. It was like an immaculate conception.” Lady Gaga stated, "''When I started writing it, it was meant to be a song about revolution and freedom and lack of prejudice. And when I started to create the visuals for it, I thought so much about my fans and in so many ways it is the monsters that created the imagery." During her acceptance for the "Best Pop Vocal Album" at the Grammys, Gaga stated that while writing the song, she pictured Whitney Houston because Gaga wasn't secure enough in herself to picture herself as a superstar singing the song. Critical Reception On February 7, 2011, Popjustice offered their review of the song saying: :Well it’s sort of amazing. Actually it’s not sort of amazing, it just is amazing. And yes we would say that because we do genuinely think Lady Gaga is the best thing to happen to pop in at least 18 years. But we are also saying it because the song is amazing, and if that’s not complete objectivity we don’t know what is. :The production is far from boring (it sounds great and nothing like what Gaga’s done before) but if you’re expecting some sort of death metal/Belgian techno crossover hit you may wish to adjust your expectations ahead of Friday’s first play. It’s a fresh sound, but in the mentalness stakes it’s not the sort of song you would fire across a field at a cow if you wanted to make it do an involuntary poo. We are sure the rest of the album will offer plenty of sonic ridiculousness but ‘Born This Way’ is all about giving the song itself room to breathe. :Perhaps the moment when ‘Born This Way’ clicks as a completely normal pop song is the moment when ‘Born This Way’ has changed pop. On February 9, 2011, Perez Hilton called into Carson Daly on AMP Radio and discussed "Born This Way", he said: :I think it’s amazing. Some people might’ve been concerned because of the lyrics. The lyrics were a little serious and they had heard some songs that had not leaked, but they had heard a song before called “You And I”, which is a rock ballad. “Born This Way” is what you would expect from Gaga. It’s a big dance/pop record, but it feels like growth. It feels like evolution and it feels very current. :She also revealed the artwork yesterday and in it you see her wearing these prosthetics, which kind of make her look like an alien which is kind of emblamatic for the song because she is different, she looks different but she was Born This Way. I have a feeling we’re going to see more of GaGa with those prosthetics and looking like that. Vogue magazine wrote a review of the song that was released on the March 2011 edition. :The song at first sounds suspiciously like a Madonna tune and then switches into something that feels a bit like a Bronski Beat hit and then finally transforms into its own thing: a Gaga original. Clearly an homage to the obscure underground disco record “I Was Born This Way”; it is an unbelievably great dance song, destined to be the anthem of every gay-pride event for the next 100 years. Upon release the song received positive reviews, however fans and critics all noted strong similarites with Madonna's "Express Yourself." The Guardian wrote that the song "is a thumping, almost disco anthem that stomps along until the chorus crashes in with the weight of a discarded meat dress." Rick Florino of Artist Direct gave the song 5 out of 5 stars, stating that "No one can carry a hook like Lady Gaga, and the chorus on "Born This Way" is nothing short of a monster" while referring to the song as "an immediate pop classic." People added "The club-ready anthem, complete with a few a cappella chants and Italian lyrics, shows off Gaga's powerhouse vocal chords – and knack for powerful songwriting." Additionally, Billboard gave the song a positive review upon its premiere, commenting that the track "is an immediate dancefloor anthem that marries big beats with Gaga's powerful, distinctive vocals and in-your-face lyrics about race and sexuality." Nick Levine of Digital Spy gave the song five out of five stars describing it as a "life-affirming equality anthem, a straight-up club pumper and a flat-out fantastic pop song". Sal Cinquemani of Slant Magazine also gave the song a positive review adding "...there's a sense, listening to the song, that Gaga has tapped into something truly special, maybe even important. The song's message is certainly one that the world's youth needs to hear now more than ever. And I can't think of a better messenger." Fellow musician and friend Elton John described the song as a gay anthem but added later that it's a song for all people and not just for the gay community. Meghan Casserly of Forbes giving the song a positive review commenting "For real, Born This Way had better be the biggest, best anthem every written—it follows the recipe precisely. An anthem that speaks to every person on the planet...". Popjustice also pointed out that the song was influenced by Madonna's "Deeper and Deeper," "Express Yourself" and "Vogue". Rob Sheffield of Rolling Stone commended the nods to Madonna, giving the song four stars out of five and adding "Born This Way" sums up all the complex Gaga mythos, all her politics and Catholic angst and smeared lipstick, in one brilliant pop blast." Yahoo! Music, however, criticized "Born This Way", by stating that the song was "overworked, overwrought, noisy, cheesy, and very, very derivative", specifically noting the similarities to "When Love Takes Over", "Waterfalls", and three of Madonna's songs: "Express Yourself", "Ray of Light", and "Vogue". MSN also compared Madonna songs "Express Yourself", "Ray of Light" and "Like A Prayer." Kevin O'Donnell of Spin gave a more mixed review, pointing out lyrical similarities to Michael Jackson's "Black or White" but going on to say "Based on all the hype surrounding the single, you'd think Gaga was releasing a song as epic and instantly classic as the Beatles' "A Day in the Life" or Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody." Imagine what she'd come up with if she'd spent more than ten minutes writing song." In less than 3 hours of the release, the song managed to top the US iTunes best selling, becoming the fastest song to ever reach #1 (beating Taylor Swift's "Mine" which took 5 hours). In about 5 hours after the release, the song continued it's rise on iTunes, topping in 21 other countries (The first and only single to achieve such status). The countries where "Born This Way" reached number 1 (on iTunes) include Canada, Mexico, Ireland, France, Finland, Sweden, Portugal, Greece, the United Kingdom, Belgium, the Netherlands, Spain, Norway, Luxembourg, New Zealand, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Austria, and Australia. The song also broke the record for the most first-day spins on U.S. radios. On the day of the release, the track was played 1,838 times on mainstream stations alone, surpassing the previous record of 619 spins set by Britney Spears’ “Hold It Against Me” just a month before. The song also had a record-breaking 25 million audience impressions in the first day, with a total of more than 2,500 plays from all formats. Controversy After the early release of the lyrics, the song garnered criticism from some Asian and Hispanic communities, including Latino groups MECha and Chicanos Unidos Arizona, claiming that the lyrics' use of the terms "chola" and "orient" to describe Latino and Asian communities is offensive and derogatory. In response to the lyrics, Robert Paul Reyes of Newsblaze.com stated that while he agreed with the lyrics' pro-gay stance, he questioned the use of the term "chola", asking, "Are Latinos supposed to be grateful that a white superstar, born of privilege, included a racist shout out to our community? Not all Latino ladies are 'cholas' in the barrio, some of them are teachers, writers, engineers and nurses and doctors." References In Pop Culture *On January 8th, Glee creator Ryan Murphey announced that there will be entire episode of Glee based on this song. “I love that that song is anthem,” says Murphy. “This show is by nature optimistic and I think a character like Karofsky could turn to booze or pills or alcohol and kill themselves or do something dark. But I also love Max and I love that character and I sorta want that character to have a happy ending. So I don’t really know what that’s going to be, but I do know we’re going to do a whole episode that’s about that song.” *On February 9, 2011, Ellen DeGeneres (Piano), James Blunt (Guitar/Vocals), and Justin Bieber (Drums/Vocals) attempted to sing the song on The Ellen DeGeneres Show based on the released lyrics. Lyrics It doesn’t matter if you love him, or capital H-I-M Just put your paws up ’cause you were Born This Way, Baby My mama told me when I was young We are all born superstars She rolled my hair and put my lipstick on In the glass of her boudoir “There’s nothing wrong with lovin’ who you are” She said, “‘Cause he made you perfect, babe” “So hold your head up girl and you’ll go far, Listen to me when I say” I’m beautiful in my way ‘Cause God makes no mistakes I’m on the right track baby I was Born This Way Don’t hide yourself in regret Just love yourself and you’re set I’m on the right track baby I was Born This Way Ooo there ain’t no other way Baby I was Born This Way Baby I was Born This Way Ooo there ain’t no other way Baby I was born- I’m on the right track baby I was Born This Way Don’t be a drag – just be a queen Don’t be a drag – just be a queen Don’t be a drag – just be a queen Don’t be! Give yourself prudence And love your friends Subway kid, rejoice your truth In the religion of the insecure I must be myself, respect my youth A different lover is not a sin Believe capital H-I-M (hey hey hey) I love my life I love this record and Mi amore vole fe yah (love needs faith) I’m beautiful in my way ‘Cause God makes no mistakes I’m on the right track baby I was Born This Way Don’t hide yourself in regret Just love yourself and you’re set I’m on the right track baby I was Born This Way Ooo there ain’t no other way Baby I was Born This Way Baby I was Born This Way Ooo there ain’t no other way Baby I was born- I’m on the right track baby I was Born This Way Don’t be a drag, just be a queen Whether you’re broke or evergreen You’re black, white, beige, chola descent You’re lebanese, you’re orient Whether life’s disabilities Left you outcast, bullied, or teased Rejoice and love yourself today ‘Cause baby you were Born This Way No matter gay, straight, or bi, Lesbian, transgendered life I’m on the right track baby I was born to survive No matter black, white or beige Chola or orient made I’m on the right track baby I was born to be brave I’m beautiful in my way ‘Cause God makes no mistakes I’m on the right track baby I was Born This Way Don’t hide yourself in regret Just love yourself and you’re set I’m on the right track baby I was Born This Way I was Born This Way hey! I was Born This Way hey! I'm on the right track baby I was Born This Way hey! I was Born This Way hey! I was Born This Way hey! I’m on the right track baby I was Born This Way hey! Same DNA, But Born This Way. Same DNA, But Born This Way. Category:Songs Category:Born This Way songs